Essay 27 • Feb 14th 2016

by Laurence Philomene

I started thinking about friendship, the importance of friendship, this past summer. I was quite heartbroken and staying at my friends Chloe & Hobbes’ house in LA, kind of wandering about for a month and trying to heal myself, and they were a huge part of doing that for me. Thinking about people I rarely get to see, who have let me in and just loved me unconditionally for years.

So when TPJ approached me about doing a Valentine's Day photo essay I thought this was a perfect match; I’d been wanting to make work centered around friendship but wasn’t sure how to frame it, how it should be presented. I love Love, all of it, but in the end it bugs me how romantic & sensual love tends to be prioritized over all other types.

I wanted to pay homage to my friends, and explore intimacy in a non-sexual way. I wanted to show the people around me (mostly feminine and/or queer people), loving each other platonically, and highlight just how important and valuable those relationships are. I wanted to show a range of relationships; people who are together every day, best friends who rarely get to see each other, siblings, etc. Shooting these images I let the mood and environment of the people I photographed inspire me, and hopefully let their individual relationships shine – not trying to come to any conclusion on what I’m photographing but just letting myself soak up the good vibes.

Amanda & Vanessa
Vanessa: “We met when Amanda put her little hand on my mom’s belly and from inside the belly I put my hand too and we sort of held hands like this for a long time. (the real first time we met, I don’t remember. I do remember Amanda pretending I was her own little doll until I was old enough for any”

Amanda & Vanessa
Vanessa: “My favorite thing about her is her ability to remember and recount things in a way only she can, so you’re crouched over laughing/crying over something you completely forgot happened.”

Billy & Zuzu
Zuzu: “I have a good memory of Billy helping me tear stuffed animals apart for a costume sitting on my studio floor with fluff and animal parts everywhere with a pink bunny head with long ears in their head.”

Billy & Zuzu
Zuzu: “I like how much care and consideration Billy has for everything they do. How they are so specific in their dressing style and how ruthless about their ethics.”
Billy: “I love zuzu’s style and lifestyle a lot too – I remember when we got closer I felt inspired about embracing every details of my life fully.”

Bronwyn & Esmee
Bronwyn: “She has no problem defending herself or her friends when they need to be protected. And I think for me, I feel like I can really be myself with Esmee. I don’t have to worry about if she thinks I’m one way or another, I can just be with her and we relate to each other, right off the bat.”

Bronwyn & Esmee
Esmee: “When we’re together we like to try out recipes, talk about feminism, and communicate in bird noises.”

Bronwyn & Esmee
Bronwyn: “I feel like I have to meet a certain expectation when I’m with other friends, but that isn’t true with Esmee because there’s no expectation to meet, only acceptance. I love her.”

E.R & Trixie
E.R : “My favorite thing about Trixie are her Trixieisms, the silly things she says usually not on purpose. She is capable of making me laugh harder than anyone else without even trying.”

E.R & Trixie
Trixie : “I can honestly say that I can’t remember meeting ER mostly due to the fact that I was fresh out the womb. ER is the only person who has ever successfully managed to calm me down.”

Flora & Jordan
Flora : “I keep thinking about how we drove to the edge of the Montreal island during the perseids meteor shower. We laid down on the beach saying it was our friendship honeymoon but after looking at the sky for an hour and not seeing anything we thought we missed the shooting stars. I think they started illuminating the sky in green and red streaks shortly before we decided to leave and we lingered a bit longer, it was a pretty magical honeymoon.”

Lyndsie & Sofia
Sofia: “She’s fucking awesome in so many ways. She’s adventurous and enthusiastic about so much in her life. She doesn’t take anything halfway, if she wants to experience something, she’ll go do it. She’s super compassionate and radiant and honestly feels like sunshine to me, just endlessly cool and loyal and caring.”

Lyndsie & Sofia
Sofia: “We could go for months not seeing each other and when we finally do it’ll be like there was never any time between the last time we saw one another. You look at, like, Sailor Moon and see the endlessly supportive female friendships they have in that make-belief universe but that’s what it feels like when I hang with her.”

Lyndsie & Sofia
Lyndsie : “My favourite thing about Sofia is how much care and passion she puts into everything she does. Her dedication and artistry inspire me. She is a fighter who gets what she wants through hard work and is unafraid of trying new things.”

Flora & Jordan
Jordan: “My favourite thing about flora is that she’s generally up to do anything and unabashedly idiosyncratic and creative. She inspires me to be a freer, wackier version of myself!”
Flora: “He’s really raw, honest and tender, and I need the real talk. Being friends with him gives me courage to stand for myself and inspiration to pursue things I love.”

Billy & Zuzu
Zuzu: “We have good water sign compatability. Intense, emotional and adaptable.”
Billy: “Yes we often talk about the moon and astrology. She is cancer, and I’m a scorpio cusp.”

Sonia & Root
Sonia: “Uummm how did we even meet? I just saw Root and thought they looked mad fly at (school), I always wanted to be their friend when I first saw them I was like wooowwww.”
Root: “Best memory for me is when they read my tarot like 3 years ago for the first time, and it was just so magical, and I really felt like they got me and validated so many of my feelings!”

Sonia & Root
Sonia: “My favorite thing about Root is that even if we are mad far away I feel like we still keep up with each other’s lives and whenever we do I feel like we can relate and connect on mad levels. I really appreciate their realness and criticality, like stuff that they’ve told me really made me think hard on myself.”
Root: “We relate so haaardd like with some other people it’s like I have to fight to be understood and like with Sonia we just see each other when we can and make the best of it! I feel so supported and loved and only wanna give it back.”

Laurence Philomene is a 22 year old triple Gemini. Picked up a camera 8 years ago and never stopped shooting since then. She likes the color pink, softness, and Cheetos. When she is not working as a photographer you can find her snuggled up at the library studying history and watching Gilmore Girls on loop.